The World Health Organization is calling for global action as its new report has found people are dying every 24 seconds due to road accidents, totaling 1.35 million traffic deaths worldwide. The number of fatalities each year increased by about 100,000 within three years, and road accidents were now considered to be the be the leading cause of death among young people and children aged five to 29.
According to the Global Status Report on Road Safety of WHO, the situation regarding road accidents is getting worse, based on the data provided in 2016. In their last report, which was based from 2013 data, the number of people dying from road traffic was estimated at 1.25 million yearly.
The report, which was released on Friday, revealed that more than half of people dying from road accidents were either walking or on two wheels. Cyclists and pedestrians account for 26 percent of total traffic deaths, with the figure as high as 44 percent in Africa, while motorcyclists and their passengers account 28 percent of total road deaths, but the figure soars to 43 percent in Southeast Asia.
"These deaths are an unacceptable price to pay for mobility," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of WHO.
But even though the total number of deaths because of road accidents increased, the rate of deaths compared to the increasing number of people and cars worldwide has been stabilized over the past years, the South China Morning Post reported. That means existing road safety efforts in some high and middle-income countries have alleviated the situation.
The report stated this is likely the outcome of better legislation around key risks, such as child restraints or helmets, failing to use a seat belt, drinking and driving, as well as speeding. Also, safer infrastructures have also paid off including sidewalks and dedicated bike lanes and better vehicle standards.
However, although many countries are putting their efforts to better the situation, the majority of poorer nations were still lagging way behind. The report noted there's not a single low-income country demonstrated a decreased in total deaths, and the risk of road traffic death is three times higher compared to high-income countries.
The death rate in Africa is specifically high, accounting 26.6 traffic deaths each year for every 100,000 citizens, while Europe has the lowest death rate of only 9.3. Meanwhile, 118 people died due to road accidents this year in Hong Kong, compared to 94 deaths in 2017, as per the Transport Department. The number of accidents remained nearly the same, with about 14,000.
